Book Three: Fire: The Fall of the Fire Nation
by Victoria Hughes
Summary: [Hiatus with start of S3] With months before the eclipse, Aang must now master the Elements and the Avatar State before time runs out, and Zuko must finally settle on one side of the worldwide war. Kataang, Zutara, Taang, Tokka, and Tykka.
1. Fallen

_Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Long ago, the Four Nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished._

_A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an Airbender named Aang. And although his Airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone._

_But I believe that Aang can save the world!_

**AVATAR: The Last Airbender**

**Book 3: Fire**

**Chapter 1: Fallen**

"_The Earth Kingdom … has fallen."_

Aang woke up nestled in Appa's fur. It was a familiar place; it made him feel safe – comforted. He opened his eyes slowly, and a hand came to rest on his forehead.

"You're awake."

"Katara?" Aang asked, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat. "What happened? Where … are we?" He began to sit up.

"Lay down, Aang, you're still hurt," Katara admonished, pressing back on his shoulders. Aang felt a wave of affection for her, and he frowned slightly. That … wasn't right. He thought he'd …

"We're in the woods," came Sokka's voice, and Aang looked up from his supine position to see the Watertribe member standing over him. "Azula got Ba Sing Se, but at least we got away with our lives."

_Some consolation prize_, Aang thought, surprisingly bitter. He swallowed back agony at the thought of defeat. "That's not good," he protested. "We need to go back."

"No, we don't," Katara said flatly. Her brow was furrowed. "What we need to do is regroup and recuperate. You nearly died, Aang!"

Aang remembered that, vaguely, but less as death than as a deep, sudden loss – his enlightenment slipping from his fingers, the Avatar State falling away, and then – nothing. "I know," he said sullenly. "But I'm going to get better – and then we need to go back!"

"Aang …"

"If Ba Sing Se fell … what is left in the world except the Fire Nation?" Aang asked softly. He closed his eyes again; was this what it was like to feel ill? He had never been sick, but now he ached as if he'd been beaten with a cane for three days. "The balance …"

"Will be restored," Katara interrupted. "Now, relax and get some rest. We'll figure out what's next when you're better."

Aang nodded vaguely; he heard Appa growl gently in agreement. "All right …"

And with that, he drifted away again into dreams.

&

"To his illustrious majesty, the Fire Lord Ozai," Azula dictated from her throne, "May all the nations bow before you." She smiled coldly. "The great Earth City, Ba Sing Se, now bends to your rule."

Zuko stood behind her and to her left – not her right, he noted, darkly. It was significant. He was no right-hand man to his sister; he was … a pawn, his mind supplied before he shook the thought away.

Banished Prince Zuko had expected to feel pride and elation. He had played a part in the defeat of the great Earth City that not even his uncle could bring down. But he felt as empty as he had his whole life. What had he really done? He had fought by his sister's side only to see the Waterbending peasant escape with the Avatar – or perhaps just the Avatar's body. She had orchestrated Ba Sing Se's downfall; he was just an incidental.

_But she said I've restored my own honor, _he protested to himself.

_My sister always lies._ It was his own words that came back to haunt him now.

"The Avatar is at best dead, and at worst incapacitated," Azula continued. "His body was not recovered, but he was struck through the heart."

What awesome bending that had been. Zuko had never seen anything like it; while he had stood in awe of the Avatar State, his sister had seen her chance, and struck the Avatar through the heart with lightning-bending. No one, Zuko reasoned, could have survived that. It at once astonished him and sickened him.

"In light of this, I propose that once the Fire Nation has established its rule here in Ba Sing Se, we should destroy the Water Tribes at the North and South pole, and have their newborns captured. Should the Avatar have been reincarnated, we will raise him as a Fire Nation warlord. He will never stand in our way again."

The Water Tribes were the last remaining bastion against the Fire Nation, Zuko realized. It was only sensible that they be assaulted next. Summer was coming; the North Pole would be in continuous daylight. It would be a slaughter.

"Your humble servant and obedient daughter," Azula concluded. "Send that immediately to the Fire Lord. He'll be most pleased." The scribe at her feet bowed and scrambled away to do her bidding.

"You never mentioned me or Uncle Iroh." _Uncle._ He thought of his uncle, imprisoned in Ba Sing Se's cells. No matter what Azula said, Zuko knew he had betrayed Iroh. _I'm a fool._

"Oh, I'll let that be a pleasant surprise," Azula responded, giving Zuko a considering look. "Father is … stubborn, as you know. I'd rather not be ordered to put you to death, when you could be such an asset to the war. Besides, wouldn't you like to tell him of your accomplishments in person?"

Her smile was always so cold. Zuko felt confused, and it infuriated him. "It would help," he said in a low voice, "if you supported me."

"Oh, I will, brother," Azula promised. "Because you've supported me."

That did not comfort Zuko.

&

When Aang awoke again, the sky was dark, and he was still – or maybe once again – nestled in Appa's fur. "Mm …" He sat up, this time to no hand on his forehead and no protests. He still felt hurt and beaten, but the aches had faded. How long had he slept? He ran his hand over his head as a test – only the beginnings of fuzz. Ah, no more than a day, then.

He looked down at himself; his tunic, which he had worn with love for so long, was ruined, burned through on one side to expose his chest. _My chest …_ The more he thought about it, the more he remembered. The bolt of pain through his heart-! As if he had been struck by lightning.

_I was struck by lightning._ Azula.

Aang looked over the little camp: the embers of the fire had burned low. Toph was in her earthbending-constructed tent; Katara and Sokka were wrapped in their sleeping bags, and Aang's own bedroll had been laid out for the Earth King. His pet bear, Bosco, slept beside him. Aang's eyes lingered on Katara.

She was so beautiful, and in sleep so peaceful. Aang rubbed his eyes. He had almost given up his love for Katara to save her, but in the end … he could only conclude that _she_ had saved _him._

He had come so close to death, and in the Avatar State. What if he had been killed? The entire world – yes, even the Fire Nation – would have been thrown into chaos. From the guru's teachings, Aang knew that was not just a human imbued with a great spirit: he _was _the Spirit. The whole world was, but him more so, and if he allowed that to be destroyed … the world's Spirit would be dead as surely as his body would be.

Aang could never let that happen again. It was time to get serious about this war in a way he never had been before.

He was not a Waterbending Master, nor an Earthbending Master, but he was powerful in both now in a way he'd never imagined. But Aang had to encompass _all_ the elements, despite his vow to never Firebend again.

"I've got to have a Firebending Master,"Aang murmured. But … who?

Toph's friend. The old man – Iroh, he thought. He was a Firebender! But what had happened to him?

He resolved to find out in the morning. In the meantime, he would let his friends sleep. Aang, however, couldn't sleep any longer; his mind was too troubled.

Aang slipped off of Appa's leg, and the flying bison shifted, letting out a rumbling moan. "Sorry, Appa," Aang whispered, petting the creature before departing a short way into the woods. There he settled, pressing his fists together firmly and closing his eyes, settling into the lotus position.

This last chakra would be the hardest to release, he knew, but he would have to do it. Katara's fate, as much as anyone else's, depended on his full enlightenment.

&

Long Feng lay in his chambers. He was fortunate, he realized; The Fire Lady Azula could have seen him killed, but instead she had allowed him to continue in his … 'service' to Ba Sing Se. Which of course meant, in his service to _her._

He burned with resentment.

For years, he had scraped and plotted his way to the side of the throne. He had been ruler in all but name: the Avatar and his friends had realized it immediately. Long Feng didn't need the title of Earth King to know what kind of power he wielded, and he had been satisfied. Ba Sing Se was unassailable, and he was assured the right to virtually rule until he was old and gray.

But then the Avatar had come and deposed him, and Azula had come and betrayed him. Now, he was little more than a puppet, just as the Earth King had once been his puppet. The Dai Li had been ripped out from underneath him, and the daughter of the Fire Lord was master of all she surveyed.

Oh, how he burned. Long Feng rolled over on his bed and scowled at the wall. On his own, he could do nothing, but he was as trapped as a canary in a cage. If he fled, Azula _would_ kill him. If he stayed, he was a mere pawn. Which was worse?

As a pawn, at least he could perhaps maneuver a bit on his own; if Long Feng was dead, well.

_To her face, the Dai Li declared their allegiance, _Long Feng thought. _But they did the same before the Earth King. Perhaps they are still loyal to me, even if they will not face the Princess directly._

With that hope in mind, Long Feng sat up in his bed and began to plot.

&

The sun rose over the trees, waking Katara. As usual, she was the first to rise amongst their group; Sokka was still snoring, and Toph was hidden in her earthy tent. She rubbed her eyes wearily and rolled over to face –

"Aang?" she whispered. His place on Appa's side was empty.

Katara got to her feet and stretched, worry settling in the pit of her stomach. Aang was in no condition to move! Where could he have possibly gone? Or had he been captured?

_No, of course not_, she admonished herself. _Princess Azula probably thinks Aang is dead. _I_ thought Aang was dead!_

She started walking out of the camp, curious as to where Aang could have gone. She found him almost immediately, to her instant relief; he was in the lotus position, facing the rising sun.

His clothing was tattered, but still … he looked oddly majestic; with the sun reflecting off his skin, he seemed almost to glow as if in the Avatar state. But when she came closer, she could see his scarred and reddened skin from where Azula's blow had hit him, and she remembered he was all too human.

"Hi, Katara."

Katara startled slightly when Aang spoke, his voice low. He didn't move from his meditative position.

"Um … hi, Aang," Katara answered softly. "Should I go?"

"No." The Avatar's voice was firm. "It's all right." Finally, he lifted his head, his hands dropping. "Good morning." He smiled gently at her.

Katara sat down beside him. "How are you feeling?"

"It still hurts." Aang rubbed his chest absently. "But not nearly as badly as last night." Again he offered that little cute smile. "I'm going to get better. You saved my life, didn't you, Katara?"

Katara blushed slightly. "It was the spiritual water Master Pakku gave me," she informed him. "It restored you."

"Wow," Aang whispered in wonder, scraping a hand over his head.

Katara was silent for a moment. "So, what're you doing over here?"

Aang shrugged slightly, leaning back on his arms and unfolding his legs from the lotus position. "Just meditating. I needed to clear my mind. I … I don't really remember what happened after the Dai Li came in."

That wasn't what Aang had intended to say, and Katara could tell, but she didn't press the issue. "Well, you entered the Avatar state … and then Azula hit you with lightning. You … fell." Katara closed her eyes in remembrance. "I managed to catch you, but it was Iroh – you know, Zuko's uncle – that saved us both. He came in and held off the Dai Li and Azula and Zuko until I could escape."

Aang let out a breath as if he he'd been holding it, and the tree leaved some ten feet away rustled. "Oh." He looked down. "That's awful. So he was captured?"

"Probably," Katara said sorrowfully. "I didn't have time to save him, too."

"That's awful," Aang repeated. He lifted his eyes to Katara. "I was hoping he could be my Firebending Master."

Katara's eyes widened slightly, but then she nodded. It was a logical choice, when she thought about it. The man was kind and gentle, and a master Firebender. "I'm sorry, Aang."

"Nah." Aang waved his hand half-heartedly. "It's not just that. He helped us, and now he's captured by Azula. She'll kill him."

Katara bit her lip. "That's probably true," she admitted, sickened by the thought.

"We can't let that happen," Aang said with conviction.

"Aang, there's nothing we can do now. Going back to Ba Sing Se is too dangerous! With Zuko _and _Azula … not to mention the Dai Li. We'd never even get to the palace, much less manage to save Iroh!"

"No." Aang's eyes were hard now in a way that Katara had rarely known. "I won't let him be executed or whatever. He helped us and now we are going to help him." Then he abruptly smiled. "Come on, Katara, we managed to take down all the Dai Li last time! And if all of us were fighting Azula and Zuko, we'd have a good chance of taking her on!"

"You're forgetting Ty Lee and Mai," Katara pointed out. "Between the four of them …"

"Aang, no."

Katara and Aang both looked up at the new voice: it was Sokka, with a serious expression on his face. "We're not going back to Ba Sing Se."

Aang's eyes widened. "But Iroh," he pleaded, only to be met with Sokka's shaking head.

"No, no way! Look at you – you're nowhere near healed from yesterday! And there's probably orders to kill us on sight in the city," Sokka pointed out. "There's no way we're going to Ba Sing Se …" and then a slight twinkle came into his eye. "… yet."

Aang's eyes lit up. "Sokka!"

Katara shot to her feet. "Sokka!"

"Ow, ow! Katara, too loud!" Sokka clutched his ears. "Come on, Katara, we have to go back. Aang is the Avatar. He's got to learn all four elements, right? And we're not wasting the summer on trying to find Jeong Jeong again. With a good plan – and I _am_ the Plan Guy – we can totally get in there, save the old guy, and get out." He paused. "I mean, we took down a giant drill from the inside! How much harder can this be?"

Katara slapped her hand to her forehead. "You know what? Whatever. I'm going back to fix breakfast." She stomped past Sokka in a fury, ignoring Aang's confused 'Katara?' behind her, but as she approached the center of camp, her shoulders slumped.

She couldn't tell Sokka and Aang – Aang especially – how frightened she'd been. Aang had been all but dead in her arms, and it was only the grace of the Spirits that had saved him. She had been so certain it was all over …

And even forgetting that. Katara's eyes narrowed as she re-stoked the fire. If she faced Zuko again, she couldn't guarantee her own fury would remain checked. She had been _so_ certain the Firebending prince had changed, and then he had horribly betrayed all of them. He had struck a blow so low she was sickened.

She suspected she might actually kill him if they met again.

&

"Uncle?"

Azula wasn't one overly given to kindness or mercy, but she yielded in the face of Zuko's confusion. She had given the old man a relatively comfortable cell, with a pallet and regular, full meals. She would not, after all, allow Zuko to become so disgusted with himself that he _truly_ changed sides.

Iroh looked up from his breakfast at the sound of Zuko's approaching voice. His eyes narrowed. His nephew …

He had not seen the boy since his betrayal in the caves. Although experience had allowed the Firebender to harness his own temper – so much so that it was almost unbelievable that he was family to the Fire Lord – it still boiled beneath the surface.

Iroh couldn't have cared less what happened to himself. He was an old man, and there was only one great adventure still awaiting him; he did not fear it. But what Zuko had done to the Avatar! That was inexcusable. He had been so sure that his nephew had changed! But when presented with the ultimate choice, he had failed. He had chosen the destiny his family offered rather than the destiny he chose for himself.

And now he came to Iroh's cell. Iroh drew a deep, calming breath, drawing in the scent of his tea, and let it back out through his nose. It was good that Zuko came to his cell – it meant that his heart still wavered. Iroh's teachings had not been utterly for naught.

"Uncle?" Zuko repeated, appearing in front of Iroh. "Uncle, how are you?"

Iroh tried to decide how to handle this. A jovial matter merely made Zuko angry, and Iroh could sense his distress. It was best to leverage that. "As well as can be expected," he said neutrally, "considering that I am in the prison of the great Earth Kingdom."

Zuko stood silently for a moment. His hair was still unruly; he had not yet cut it to the traditional style of a Firebending Prince. Another good sign. "I am sorry, Uncle," he said softly, his head bowed.

Iroh lifted his head then, to meet Zuko's eyes. "You are _sorry?_" he cried, setting down his tea, allowing some of his inner flames come to the surface. "After all I taught you, this is what you do!? I am ashamed of you."

Zuko's eyes widened. Obviously chastisement had not been what he expected. But then his eyes narrowed. "What was I supposed to do, Uncle!?" he demanded, flinging a hand behind him. "The Avatar was _right there!_ I almost had him! It was _you_ that stopped me!"

Iroh remained seated. "No, Zuko. I did not stop you. I did not _have_ to stop you. Tell me, was it you who bent the lightning that struck the Avatar through the heart!? In what way did _you_ have the Avatar?"

Zuko was once again struck silent, and Iroh pressed on. "Your sister had the Avatar. Suppose, in fact, it had been you that brought down that boy. Would you have received credit? No! Azula would have snatched it for herself! You know she is deceptive and treacherous, and yet yesterday, you stood by her side.

"I tell you again, Zuko: you stood at a crossroad last night, and you chose the path your family has set for you – the same family that banished you and sought to arrest you. I only hope that you truly believe in what you are doing." And with that, Iroh sat back again, picking up his tea to sip it once more.

Zuko stood with his fists clenched, wound up to yell at his dear uncle the way he had so many times in the past. But then, slowly, he deflated. "I don't know what I expected," the prince said in a low, almost contemptuous voice.

"Nor do I." Iroh looked at Zuko from under his eyebrows. "Because I cannot offer comfort for you now. I can no longer be your crutch or moral compass." He paused. "And soon, you will be more on your own than ever."

Zuko frowned. "Why?"

Iroh almost laughed. Almost. He refrained, for Zuko's sake; the boy was still fragile, and while he needed to be shattered, this would not be the way. "You cannot seriously expect that Azula will let me live for long. I have faced her directly. Your sister will have me executed for treason – and rightly so."

Zuko's hands slammed against the bars, which glowed hot with Firebending. "How can you say that so calmly!?" he cried. "I won't allow it!"

"_You_ will stop Azula?" Iroh asked with raised eyebrows. "How? You are just her plaything."

Zuko's breathing was harsh; the bars under his hands cooled slowly. He turned away.

"I won't allow it," he said again, before stalking away.

"Zuko, don't be a fool!" Iroh called after him, but his nephew was gone.

Iroh closed his eyes and prayed that he had not lost Zuko as surely as he had lost his own son.

&

When the Sokka-dubbed Aang GAang sat down to breakfast, it was solemn. Katara had calmed from her infuriated state, but there didn't seem to be much to say. Aang seemed chastised and down; Sokka, too. Toph was never one to make conversation, and the Earth King seemed to pick up on all their moods - after remarking that he had never been camping before, brightly, and receiving blank stares, that is.

When they were just finishing up, Toph finally spoke up. "So what now?" she asked in her petulant voice.

"We're not sure," Katara began, but Sokka spoke over her.

"We're going to get Aang a Firebending Master."

Toph's eyes widened slightly, although she did not lift her head. She rarely did. "Where?"

"Your friend," Aang said quietly. "The Fire Nation guy, Iroh."

Katara sighed aloud. "Aang …"

"Katara," Sokka interjected, "do you know where to find Jeong Jeong? I didn't think so. Now, do you seriously propose we spend weeks searching for a guy who wants to stay hidden, while the Darkest Day passes us by?"

"We are _not_ going back to Ba Sing Se!" Katara nearly shrieked.

"For once, I'm with Sugar Cup," Toph added. "We barely escaped there as it is."

"But Iroh is going to _die!_"

This was Aang, and his raised voice made everyone pause. He glared at all of them. "I know I'm hurt, and I know I almost died, but I'm _not_ dead. I'm not talking about taking on Azula and Zuko head-on, I'm talking about sneaking in and saving Iroh! We're not leaving him there!"

Katara looked sorrowful, but Toph spoke up before her. "And how do you propose we do that?"

Sokka jumped in here. "Earthbending! We can tunnel in, get Iroh, and tunnel out, and no one will be the wiser. We'll just have to knock out a few Dai Li, and with Toph's metalbending, we won't even need a key. Bam! The old guy is free, and we're back in business!"

"But we don't even know where in Ba Sing Se Iroh is being held!" Katara pointed out.

"It's probably the palace cells. I mean, Lake Laogai was destroyed, so where else would he be?" Sokka shrugged.

"And we know where those are located … _how?_" Katara reminded him sharply.

"Actually," began the Earth King, but Sokka was hot for this now.

"Toph can feel anything under the earth. She could probably find Iroh even if he was a hundred feet underground."

"I have to be close enough to do that," Toph reminded him, "And I don't think we can get that close without the Dai Li spotting us."

"Excuse me," the Earth King said.

"But if we _tunnel_ close enough …"

"In what direction? And what if the palace cells aren't underground!?"

"Ex_cuse_ me!" the Earth King exclaimed.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at the deposed king, who cleared his throat delicately with a slight blush.

"Well, now that I have your attention … there is a man who lives in the Inner Circle. His ancestor was the man who designed the Palace. I imagine that if anyone has a map that could tell us how to get to the cells, it would be him." He smiled.

Aang beamed at the news. "That's exactly what we need!"

"But there's no way we can get to the Inner Circle without being spotted," Katara protested. "This is the same problem we had before."

"_Yet_," Sokka intoned, his eyes bright. "Sure, the Dai Li would totally recognize us – but that's mostly Aang's fault. He's got that huge blue arrow on his head that no one can miss."

"Hey!" Aang protested, rubbing the tattoo in question.

"But we just need to sneak in for a few hours at most," Sokka continued. "And by that time …" he reached up and let out his customary ponytail, letting his hair fall around his face. "We'll be unrecognizable."

"We will be?" Katara asked nervously.

"Yep." Sokka's smile turned slightly sad. "Sister dear … it's time for a haircut."

_Tbc_

_Tah-dah! Season 3 of A:TLA as I would write it. Hopefully it will give some small number of people something to enjoy while we wait for the real Season Three._

_Vikki_


	2. Return to Ba Sing Se

**AVATAR: The Last Airbender**

**Book 3: Fire**

**Chapter 2: Return to Ba Sing Se**

"I can't grow hair!" Aang protested.

Sokka gave Aang a doubtful look. "Sure you can," he pointed out. "You just stop shaving."

"You don't understand. It's a vow," Aang explained, his tone slightly pleading. "All the Air Monks of the Northern and Southern temples never grow out their hair. It's a matter of spirituality."

"I'm sure the Great Spirits will understand if you grow hair," Sokka sighed. "Especially since they _probably_ think it's more important that you live long enough to fulfill your destiny."

Aang stuck out his lower lip and pouted, but he didn't make further protest. Sokka looked satisfied. "How's it going, Katara?" he called across the camp.

Katara was wrestling Toph's hair down into a bun. "Honestly," she grumbled, "I have no idea how you get your hair into your hat."

"It's an art form," Toph answered blandly. "… Just shave it off. I don't care."

"_I_ care," Katara answered primly. "If we've got to change our appearances, at least we can look nice." She fingered her own locks, now chopped off to just brush her shoulders. "Now, hold still. I think we can manage this with a few more pins."

&

After that, however, it was a brief waiting game. Aang's hair didn't grow terribly fast, and it took three days for him to sprout what amounted to a closely-shaved buzz cut. "Try eating some fish," Sokka suggested. "Hair grows faster when you eat that. Oh, and red meat. Lots of red meat."

Aang was still rather touchy about being forced to abandon his vow of baldness (Sokka's words), and he didn't even look up from his vegetarian meal. "Just because I'm breaking one vow doesn't mean I'm breaking another one," he responded.

The Earth King was still vaguely delighted with the idea of camping, and he helped Sokka upkeep the camp and collect food. His outer robe was donated to Aang, whose clothes were tattered beyond recovery, and modified to better fit the Airbender by Katara. "We're going to have to buy him some new clothes, though," Katara noted. The shoulders were too wide, and Aang looked rather put-off by them, standing there with the sleeves rolled up four times.

"Why? I think they look great," Toph said.

"Yeah! I—wait a minute," Sokka agreed before realizing that he was in agreement with a blind person. "I hate it when you do that."

In the meantime, Aang was subjected to plenty of training. He was still healing; Katara fretted every time he migrated from his Waterbending practice to his Earthbending practice, since Toph was no easy taskmaster, but he always emerged unscathed. But like when he was separated from Appa, he seemed down, and he spent far more time meditating than usual.

"Aang, Iroh is going to be okay," Katara promised. "Zuko seemed pretty attached to him. Azula's mean, but I don't think she'd … _kill_ him just yet. After all, Zuko just switched back to her side, and she probably wants him to stay there."

"You can't promise that," Aang answered, bending a thin rope of water through the air.

Katara wondered what else was bothering the young Avatar, but she didn't ask.

Finally, a week after the fall of Ba Sing Se, Katara proclaimed Aang to be in good enough shape to attempt the daring rescue of Iroh. She was backed up by Toph, who said Aang's heartbeat was back up to its normal strength. Sokka was raring to go.

"Finally! Took you long enough, Aang," he accused with a fond slap to the back of Aang's head. The Airbender grunted, but smiled.

They were some miles to the north of Ba Sing Se at the moment – outside the outer wall, but at least not surrounded by endless desert. Momo had disappeared for most of a day but returned looking _very_ pleased and _very_ full, settling on Bosco's shoulder. Against all reason, the two had become fast friends.

Aang hugged Appa's forehead before they all climbed on the bison for the flight back to Ba Sing Se. "You all rested up, buddy?"

Appa roared loud and low, and Aang scrambled up to his place on Appa's neck while the rest of the group settled on his back for the (unfortunately) saddle-less ride. "Yip yip," Aang called, and they were flying.

"It's good to see you up on Appa's head again," Katara said gently, smiling at Aang. Aang looked back with an equally gentle smile and sighed. "I'm really lucky," he confided after a moment. "I almost lost … everything." _My past lives. The Avatar State. You._

"But you didn't," Katara said. She rested a hand on Aang's shoulder.

&

Zuko was in mental agony.

It was a somewhat beautiful thing to behold, Azula thought. Her older brother, supposedly 'destined' to take the crown from the Fire Lord upon his death, was a weakling.

It wasn't precisely that he was a weakling in body, but rather, a weakling in his heart. Some would have said Azula was heartless, but that wasn't true. She was just firm. She knew what she wanted, and no one could stand between her and her goals. Dear Zuzu, however, didn't know what he wanted, or even, really, what others wanted of him.

Azula knew, for instance, that Zuko could have – should have, really – been a powerful Firebender, perhaps even Azula's equal. But he was only average – and not for lack of potential. He had shown some impressive techniques down in that cave. No; Zuko's Firebending was weak because he was weak himself, torn between his uncle and his father.

And oh, what a beautiful thing it was to watch Zuzu slowly breaking himself down to nothing.

But as entertaining as this was, Azula needed her older brother to firm up. The trouble was deciding just how to go about that. Uncle Iroh should have been executed for treason by now, for instance, but Zuzu was just too attached to him for that. However, Uncle would never support Zuko's decision to rejoin the Fire Nation, which meant that every time Zuko spoke with Uncle, any work she had done to build him up would be undone.

It was an interesting quandary, and one with an equally interesting solution which had just now formed in her mind.

"Zuzu …" Azula began over dinner, "You know that I'd do anything for you, don't you?"

Zuko looked up, startled. The evidence of his cowardice glinted in the candlelight. "Really, sister." It was somewhere between hopeful and mocking.

Azula waved her hand dismissively. "Take our uncle, for example. You do accept that he's betrayed the Fire Nation, don't you?"

Zuko nodded after a moment, glancing away. He looked pained. Azula hid a smirk.

"I know how attached you are to him. I understand, really. He's the only person who stayed with you when Father ordered me to have you imprisoned," Azula continued. "And that, dear brother, is why I haven't had him executed yet."

Zuko went slightly pale, and he lowered his hands. Azula saw his teeth grit and could imagine his fists clenched in his lap. "Yes. About that."

Azula cut him off. "I know you don't want him killed, Zuzu. I won't execute him, I promise. But it's only a matter of time before Father arrives, and I don't know what he'll do. He's not as … _merciful_ as I am." Not that she didn't know that _Zuko_ knew about his father's 'mercy', but it was always good to remind him why he was here, now, rather than at the helm of his father's army.

Zuko drew a deep breath and let it out. "Father …" he said slowly. He breathed out a faint tendril of smoke. _What are you thinking, Zuzu?_ Azula wondered. _That since it's father's brother, he wouldn't do it? Hah. You of all people know better, Zuko. He stole the throne from Uncle, and he'd gladly steal his life as well._

"If he tried to have Uncle killed …" Zuko's voice hardened. "I won't allow it."

_Oho!_ Azula marveled at the bite in Zuko's words. _So the housecat has fangs after all._ "You'd face Father over that?" she asked.

Zuko glared up at her. "He's all I have left."

Azula scoffed. "That may have been true last week, but now, the Fire Nation's force is at your disposal. I've promised you that, haven't I?" Of course, it was only with her say-so, but the illusion of power was something Zuko had always enjoyed. "You have me." She tried to sound hurt, but she wasn't very good at it.

Zuko snorted softly, but his lips curled upwards in something like a smile. "Hmph. Of course, sister."

Azula felt a moment of frustration. That response was unusually hard to read. Was Zuko really as wrapped around her little finger as she wanted to think? "In any case," she continued, pretending to dismiss his reply, "I have an idea to save Uncle's life."

Now _that_ had Zuko's attention. "Really," he said, raising his single eyebrow doubtfully. "You'd do that for me?"

"Didn't I tell you? I'll help you, just as you've helped me," Azula reassured him. She sipped her tea. "It's simple, really. I'll announce his execution, but instead, we'll have him smuggled out of Ba Sing Se." Her lips curled. "Everyone wins. Uncle will survive, Father will think he's dead, and when you assume your rightful position as the Fire Lord, you can have Uncle at your side again."

Zuko considered this visibly. "… it's a good plan, but I don't know that Uncle will go along with it."

If their beloved uncle had any idea what Azula really planned to do with him, he _definitely_ wouldn't go with it. Ah well, it wasn't as if she hadn't planned for this contingency. "Then you should see to it personally," she replied, hoping that would also help put to rest any additional fears Zuko may have had. "We'll send him someplace remote – an island, perhaps, with a contingent of guards to take care of him. He'll have the best care. It may be exile, but he'll live like a king," Azula lied smoothly.

Zuko's lips twitched. "If there's tea involved, he may agree to that," he said.

Azula was slightly surprised by the statement, and she didn't hide it. "Did you … just make a joke, brother?"

Zuko looked up at her. "What? I can't be funny?" he asked, deadpan, before sipping his own tea with a guilty look for the cup he held in his hands. "… I'll talk to him," he promised. "Maybe he'll listen."

Oh, that couldn't be allowed. Zuko couldn't talk to Iroh about this plan before Azula implemented it. "No, don't be silly." Azula interrupted with slight vehemence. "Since when has Uncle ever agreed to do the best thing for himself?" She almost made a biting comment about his decision to accompany his banished nephew, but thought better of it at the last second. "His opinion isn't needed. We're saving his _life_, Zuko. He'll be grateful in the end, even if he isn't now." She couldn't have the ex-General picking up on her motives, after all.

Zuko gave Azula a long, considering look, and then his eyes dropped again. "If you say so, sister."

Azula couldn't help but think it felt so good to hear that word – 'sister' – on his lips with such naïve trust.

&

"I know this is going to make you nervous, Aang," Katara was saying, "But we've got to leave Appa here, outside of Ba Sing Se."

They were perhaps half a day's walk from the outer walls of the greatest, and formerly unconquerable, city of the Earth Nation, but still flying over the last of the forests. Aang rubbed Appa's fur; Momo was sitting on his shoulder, eating berry nuts thoughtfully. Katara and the rest were seated comfortably, considering that the bison was flying at a slow speed.

"If we stop here, how are we going to get in?" the Earth King wanted to know.

"We could tunnel in!" Sokka suggested cheerfully. Toph scowled.

"Stupid! It's not a problem for me, but that'd take days! Besides, there's an entire army of Earthbenders in there."

"That's true, Sokka," Katara agreed worriedly. "A ground attack might be exactly what they'd expect."

"What about the sky, then?" Aang suggested, pushing up his sleeves for the umpteenth time. "If we fly high enough, the guards won't be able to see us!"

"But we have to land eventually!" Katara protested. "We'll be spotted then."

Sokka leaned over Appa's back, peering at the ground below them. "Hey, I have another idea."

"What now?" Katara sighed, poking her brother in the side to make him yelp. "Walk right in the front gate!?"

Sokka glared at her, then pointed down at the road they were following, which was populated by a small stream of travelers. "Actually, yeah," he said. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

&

They landed in a small clearing in the woods. "What do you suppose those people are traveling to Ba Sing Se for? Surely they know it's a Fire Nation conquest now," Katara complained.

"Not necessarily," the Earth King replied. He looked slightly embarrassed. "As you know, I had never left the palace before these last two weeks. My face was … not well known." He paused. "Should Azula want to contain Ba Sing Se and keep it peaceful, she would simply have to assume the title of the Earth King. If the Dai Li are loyal to her, they will keep her in power quietly."

"Until the Fire Nation army comes and destroys Ba Sing Se," Sokka hissed bitterly.

Aang was petting Appa. "Don't let yourself get kidnapped this time," he told his bison. "If anyone tries to take you, just fly away. I know we'll find each other again." Appa growled his acknowledgement.

"So Sokka," Toph spoke. "Your brilliant plan is to just join this caravan or whatever and walk into Ba Sing Se, then."

"Yeah, pretty much," Sokka agreed.

Toph snorted. "Dressed like that?"

Sokka looked down at his dusty, well-worn clothes. "Well, why not? I mean … hey! It's not like you know what I'm wearing!"

Katara put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Actually, Sokka, she's got a good point. We are dressed like Watertribe members, and that might be enough of a tipoff for the Dai Li, even if we do have different haircuts." She sighed. "We need better disguises … like Aang. I'd hardly recognize him."

Aang's hair covered most of his tattoo, and his overlong sleeves covered his hands, but there was still a blue arrow poking out of the front of his hairline. He'd donned his usual conical hat to cover it, and he looked almost comical with his huge tunic. "Recognize who?" he asked, just coming into the conversation.

Everyone except Toph looked at Aang. "Never mind," Katara said simply.

"But where are we going to get new clothes?" Sokka asked plaintively.

Toph smiled, not lifting her head. She reached into her sleeve and produced her namesake ticket, the pass that had gotten them places when money wouldn't. "How much do you think this is worth?" she asked. "New clothes for everyone, maybe?"

&

"Your lunch, sir."

Long Feng accepted the food at his private table proudly, and the Dai Li that had brought it fell silent, his face schooled to perfect blankness. There was silence as the Cultural Minister ate primly, with the attitude of a king.

"And how is Lady Azula today?" Long Feng asked as he sipped his tea.

"As well as ever," the Dai Li said, not turning his head. He paused for a moment. "She is … invulnerable."

Long Feng's eyes widened slightly. _Ah. The Code. _It had been a long time since Long Feng had needed to use it, but now was an excellent time to bring it back. A bit of smugness slipped into his voice. "Then you attend to her carefully," he said.

"As always, sir. As do we to you."

It was a warning – a split in the ranks. Some still considered Long Feng their leader, but others would follow Azula – whether out of fear or loyalty, it was impossible to tell. Long Feng narrowed his eyes. "She is shrewd."

"But those who haven't met her almost think she is a legend," the Dai Li continued.

_Anyone who hasn't met her face-to-face considers me their leader!_ Long Feng nearly crowed in triumph, but he schooled himself to a gentle cough. It meant that he still controlled the information about Ba Sing Se that came to her ears. He still had power.

"Oh, she is most certainly one. An amazing legend – the first to ever conquer Ba Sing Se." Long Feng wiped his lips with a napkin. "And we will serve her faithfully." _Or not._

&

It turned out that a linens merchant was part of the long parade into Ba Sing Se, and he was entirely too happy to accept Toph's namesake in exchange for a bundle of classic Earth Kingdom clothing. Soon the entire group was decked out in simple but well-woven common clothing – even the Earth King – and were on the long march to the outer walls.

Bosco and Momo were left behind with Appa – the flying lemur had become known as 'The Avatar's Pet' over the course of their initial stay in the city, and a real bear was uncommon enough that Sokka thought it would be unwise to have him along. (Well, the real reason was that Bosco wasn't _that_ smart, and Sokka was already sick of him.)

"Are you sure it's all right that you sold the Bei Fong name?" Katara asked worriedly. "That ticket's been so helpful …"

"It's fine," Toph said firmly. "I got kidnapped in Ba Sing Se, remember? That means that Mother and Father are still looking for me. Using that card is a great way to track us."

"In more ways than one," Sokka grumbled.

"Oh, look, the guards!" The Earth King exclaimed. "We're almost there if we can see the guards." And indeed, by sundown the wall loomed above them, so tall it was hard to see the top.

"What if they ask for our names?" Aang wanted to know.

"Make one up." This was Toph, who somehow, without even lifting her head, gave the impression of shooting daggers with her eyes at Katara. "And this time I'm picking my _own_ name."

"And that is?" Katara wanted to know.

"Daishi." Toph smirked under her bangs. "You can be named Shazi."

Katara rolled her eyes. "No thanks. How about Shannu?"

"I think that suits you, Katara," Aang said sheepishly.

"I'll be Shi—" Sokka started, but Katara cut him off with a laugh.

"Shifei," she said pleasantly, giggling a little at Sokka's following pout. "And Aang can be Youyi."

"What about me?" the Earth King asked.

The four children looked at him with slight incredulousness. "Well … what's your real name, to start out?" Aang asked. "We never found out."

"Oh, of course! How could I have forgotten." It had been so long since the Earth King had been referred to as anything other than his title (or some pronoun thereof) that he hadn't even thought to mention it. "It's Taizi, which was rather literal at the time, of course …"

"That might be a little suspicious," Katara suggested. "How about Ping?"

The dethroned king considered this. "Ping … yes, Ping seems like a good name. That's fine."

But when they got to the gate, the guards merely waved them through without a word or question.

Sokka scowled. "Wow, to think I'd forgotten: _there is no war in Ba Sing Se._" He wiggled his fingers in a spooky manner. "I think the irony is killing me slowly."

"Come on, it's nearly dark," Aang answered cheerily. "We've only got one chance to sneak into the inner circle, right?"

"How do we get there?" Katara wanted to know.

Toph's hand was on the ground. She pointed upwards with her other hand. "Remember the train that took us through the city?" she asked. "It's coming this way."

Aang glanced around. The train traveled on an elevated track over the lower walls of Ba Sing Se; it was at least twenty feet up. But there were no immediately evident Dai Li around. "We're gonna catch that train," he declared. He grasped Katara and the Earth King around the waist, causing both to blink in surprise. "Toph, you get Sokka up there!" And with that, he leapt upwards, bending the air to propel him to a height of thirty feet.

The train-slash-trolley dashed underneath them. Aang landed on its roof more gently than a flying lemur (and he would know) and put Katara and the King down – just in time to catch Sokka being thrust at him. "Oomph!"

"Augh!"

Toph's feet hit the trolley with considerably more force than Aang's had, and the earthen platform she had used to bring herself and Sokka to the train's level crumbled behind them. Aang beamed from behind Sokka. "Great! We're almost there."

"We'll have to get off before the stop in the inner circle," Katara pointed out. "Or we'll be caught."

"And Aang?" Sokka snapped, rapping the small Airbender on the head. "That's the _last_ time you Airbend in the city, got it!?"

Aang smiled sheepishly. "Got it. But no one saw us, I'm sure of it," he added confidently.

Aang was wrong.

_Tbc_

_Notes: In the middle of this chapter, the Gaang has a conversation about names. The reason the names are such a big deal is because of what they each mean:_

_Daishi - Great Master_

_Shazi - fool_

_Shannu - Beautiful woman (Xiannu)_

_Shi - right_

_Shifei - right and wrong (aka good and evil)_

_Youyi - friendship_

_Taizi - Prince_

_Ping - ... I have no idea, but the name amuses me._

_Next chapter: The Traitor_

_Aang and his friends go to rescue Iroh from the palace dungeons, but it's never that simple, is it?_

_Hope you all are enjoying the story! For the cover image for this 'Book', go here: http:// ww w. deviantart .com /deviation /45023395/ . It's drawn by yours truly, so, um, it's not very good, but it may give you some idea of what the Gaang looks like now._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Blonde-Existentialist, nadia, Sword on Fire, IGAF-kun, sammiann226, Lady Lunas, requim17, Aphraxus, Cloud-123, pokey, sakunade, and Indigo44. Thank you for your suggestions and praise; you helped me write this next chapter._

_Reviews adored and greatly appreciated!_


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